Yr 2 of the DeShaun Foster period started at UCLA late Saturday night time with tarped seats, yawning followers and a daunting query.
What if this man actually can’t coach?
Having endured Foster’s quite a few rising pains in a 5-7 debut season, the Bruin devoted had been hopeful this second go-around would reveal him because the inspirational chief that athletic director Martin Jarmond promised when he surprisingly picked him to interchange Chip Kelly.
Nonetheless ready. Getting uglier. Severely anxious.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) scrambles as he’s tripped up by Utah security Tao Johnson (5) Saturday on the Rose Bowl.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Instances)
In a season opener that was fully devoid of the “energy and passion,” that Jarmond as soon as claimed Foster possessed, the Bruins misplaced 43-10 to Utah in a recreation that ended with the Rose Bowl displaying just one signal of life.
That got here from the opposite workforce’s followers, who stuffed the Pasadena night time with the taunting chant of, “Let’s Go Utah.”
The Bruins had been by no means in it. The Bruins by no means had an opportunity. This was dreadful. This was embarrassing.
“Lot of stuff to learn from … it’s not going to be easy,” stated Foster.
Appeared fairly easy for the Utes, who scored on their first three possessions with drives of 75, 60 and 49 yards, making it 20-0 earlier than the second quarter was three minutes outdated.
“We went out there and got punched in the mouth,” stated quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
One would possibly suppose that $2 million could be sufficient to purchase a comeback, the dear Iamaleava making his first look after storming out of Tennessee final spring when the Volunteers wouldn’t pay up.
Flawed once more. On this primary night time, Iamaleave was grossly overpaid, overthrowing numerous receivers and fully actually one fairly move all night time, a landing strike price 19 yards to Anthony Woods late within the second quarter that made it 20-7.
The Bruins by no means acquired any nearer, permitting second-half landing drives of 21 performs — 21 performs! — and 10 performs amid a flurry of missed tackles and blown assignments.
By the fourth quarter, the sparsely populated Rose Bowl had grown much more somber and morose, and it’s important to marvel: How hopeless should a program be if it might solely entice solely 35,032 to the nation’s most stunning soccer stadium on a vacation weekend?
This hopeless: The Bruins had been greater than doubled in complete yardage, outgained 482-220. This included permitting 286 yards dashing to the previous Pac-12 Utes who, it seems, most likely ought to have gone to the Massive Ten as an alternative of those withering Bruins.
“We just played a good team, that’s it,” stated Foster — and when is the final time any person stated that about his workforce?
UCLA coach DeShaun Foster, left, and fellow coaches shout instructs in the course of the Bruins’ loss to Utah on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Instances)
One recreation down, and UCLA already seems to be and feels cooked. All momentum from Kelly’s closing 8-5 season — do not forget that bowl win over Boise State? — has been misplaced. All hope that Foster can truly flip this round is slowly disappearing beneath a bevy of humiliations.
Foster started his debut season final fall going 1-5 and this season’s schedule is even more durable, with the potential of issues to get even messier. They’ve video games at Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State. They’ve residence video games in opposition to Penn State, Washington and Nebraska. They usually end at USC.
At this fee, they’ll be fortunate to complete 5-7, at which level the anticipated three-year clock on Foster’s tenure will start to loudly tick.
However give Foster credit score for one factor — he might have seen this coming. Lately he put in a litany of latest media restrictions that mainly prohibited journalists from getting a better have a look at his program.
Foster should have identified what that nearer look would reveal. Certainly, this may very well be a workforce price hiding.
And the darn factor is, it was speculated to all be so totally different. The protection had all new starters. The offense was being coordinated by new Indiana whiz Tino Sunseri.
After which there was Imaleava, who final spring made NIL historical past by being faculty soccer’s unofficial first holdout earlier than being a part of faculty soccer’s unofficial first commerce.
After overlooking the truth that they had been hiring a reputed chief who had walked out on his former workforce, the Bruins employed Imaleava and turned their backs on quarterback Joey Aguilera, a transfer which ended up with him going to Tennessee.
Within the Volunteers season-opening win in opposition to Syracuse Saturday, Aguilera was 16-for-28 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions plus 34 yards dashing.
Iamaleava was 11-for-22 passing with one landing and one interception plus 47 yards dashing.
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“Me, personally, I’ve got to be better,” stated Iamaleava.
His first throw was behind an open receiver. His third throw sailed over the top of a receiver who was sprinting downfield for what would have been a certain landing. He ended UCLA’s first possession with a nasty fourth-down determination to throw to a coated receiver as an alternative of choosing an open receiver on the opposite facet of the sphere.
The quarterback appeared to seek out his groove within the second quarter, main the Bruins to the season’s first landing that excellent move to Woods. However his momentum didn’t final, and he ended his night time by admitting, “Taking myself back to the drawing board.”
Right here’s hoping he’s joined there by Foster, who must scribble out a distinct script. One thing. Something. And shortly.
